Fastening device



March 30, 1954 H. J. MUFHDHYv FASTENING DEVICE Filed May 12' 1951.,

v 1n f HOWARD d. MuRpHY BVM5/5 I AGENT.

Patented Mar. 30,` 1954 2,673,382 FASTENING DEVICE Howard J. Murphy, Lynnfield, Mass., assigner to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 12 ,1951, Serial No. 226,020

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to fastening devices, and has particular reference to snap fastener assembly and a socket member for use therein.

The object of the invention is to provide a snap fastener socket member which is adapted to engage a stud member in such a manner that the stud may be disengaged only by a separating force applied to a predetermined side of the assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stud and socket assembly in which means is provided for maintaining the stud in a tilted position in the socket so that disengagement can be eiected only by a separating force applied on the side of the assembly opposite said means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a socket member having an internal spring means for engaging an inserted shouldered stud in which a raised boss is provided on the socket on one side of the stud-receiving opening to bear against a portion of the inserted stud to maintain the stud in a tilted position in the socket so that the spring is not engaged behind the stud shoulder on the side adjacent the raised boss.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the face of a socket member embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a View in section of the socket member of Fig. 2 and an assembled stud member;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the stud member shown in Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a view of the assembly of Fig. 3 in which the stud-engaging spring is shown in elevation to illustrate the manner in which it engages the stud; and

Fig. 6 is a view in section similar to Fig. 3 showing the action of the parts during disengagement of the stud.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a three side lock snap fastener assembly I6, comprising a stud member I2 and a socket member I4 which are adapted for snapping engagement in such a manner that disengagement can be effected only by a separating force applied to a predetermined side of the assembly.

The stud l2 comprises generally a shank l5 having a flanged base I6 at one end for attachment to a supporting sheet I8, and a peripheral shoulder near the other end which faces toward the flanged end.

(Cl. .2A- 218) The socket it comprises a hollow body formed by a base 22 for attachment to a supporting sheet 2li, an upstanding peripheral wall 26 on the base, and a substantially iiat annular socket face member 28 disposed on the wall 26. The annular member 23 extends radially inwardly from the walls and forms a stud-receiving opening 36. The pcrtion of the annular member 28 adjacent the opening is turned downwardly toward the base 22 to form a depending lip 32 which terminates in spaced relation to the base 22. To provide means for engaging the stud, a split ring spring 345 is assembled in the socket between the base and the lip 32 to pass over the end of the inserted stud and seat behind the shoulder 26 thereon. The spring opening is smaller than the end ci the stud so that circumferential expension of the spring is required to allow the stud to pass therethrough. The spring is enclosed by the wall 26 with sufficient clearance therebetween to allow such expansion, but the distance between the wall and the lip is less than the diameter of the spring to prevent the spring from becoming unseated from its position between the base and the lip.

To provide means for imparting a three-side lock feature to the socket, a raised boss 36 is provided on the annular socket face 28 at one side of the stud-receiving opening 30. The boss 36 protrudes generally axially from the socket to bear against the flange I6 of an inserted stud for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The stud is assembled into the socket in the usual manner, by inserting the end of the stud into the socket opening. However, during such assembly the stud ange I6 on the side of the assembly designated A comes up against the boss 36 and prevents any further entry of the stud on that side of the socket. However, the opposite side B of the stud is free to move further into the socket by pivoting about the boss 36 as a fulcrum so that the shoulder 2U on the side B of the stud can snap into engagement with the spring. The stud is thereby maintained in a tilted position in the socket so that the shoulder on the side A of the stud is disposed beneath the adjacent portion of the lip 32, and the spring is not engaged behind the stud shoulder on the side A (see Fig. 3). The spring is thereby canted in relation to the stud shoulder so that it extends from behind the stud shoulder on the side B around the stud and over the shoulder to be disposed above the shoulder on the side A. The relative dimensions of the parts are such that the spring is behind the shoulder for more than half of the circumference of the stud so that the stud will be retained'in engagement with the spring (see Fgi5),

With the stud maintained in this position, a separating force applied to the supporting sheets Iii-and 24 on the-side A ofthe assembly having the boss (see arrows on Fig. 3) will not disengage thestud fromthe socket, since the 'stud shoulder is seated behind'the `lip-'32. However, a separating f0rce applied to the supporting sheets on the opposite side of the assembly (see arrows on Fig. 6)'Wi1l cause thestud to'rnove outA of the socket with ,theJooss :i6-providing a fulcrum about which the stud can `pivot to allowv they stud shoulder on the side AB to passoutof engagement 4with the. spring. f Y Y 1 'Although in 'the illustrated embodiment, Vthe stud'is provided With -a relatively sharp shoulder,

' it -wiu be appreciated 'that*thesnoulderszmaygbe roundedwithout impairing the three-side look nharacteristio of 'the device vlilftlfiouglfr the sharp shoulderjincreasesthe locking-'strength of the fastener because the -dsengaging i'orcesapplied on side, A are resisted by direct, engagement of the sharp stud .shoulder withtljejlipfzjthe same locking action will be obtained if the shoulder is reminded, since such als eparating'- force tends Avtvo-@tilt the study further in the'socketabout the .point ofengagernent of'the stud on 'the opposite ,side Withithe adjacentiinner edge of` the annular portion 28,designated'at C,j'and sueh further -tiltingwouldcausejthe endvfof` thestud on side to travel in anl arcwhicl'ifinterseets the depending lip tin-thesidehA. -A -V v. 1

,f Since, in ,installations utilizing vthree-side lock snap fastener assemblies itz. isY most convenient .todeterniinethe unlocking'-direction by the orientation ofthejisvocket; the raised boss which provides lthe unlocking action is provided on the 4 socket. However, in some cases the raised boss may be provided on the iiange of the stud instead of on the socket.

Since'eertain other obvious modications may be madein the'dev'ice without departing from the scope'of the invention, it is intended that all matterfcontained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and 'not in`a limiting sense.

I claim:

` .Athree-side-loek snap fastener assembly, com- -prising-a'studhaving; a flangedI base at one end and an'abrupt circumferential shoulder disposed there'about irifspaeedv relation to the other end `and to '-tlie'base, said. socket comprising a base for attachment'toa supporting sheet, an upr standing peripheral Wall on the-base, a;A face p0rtion extendinginWard-ly from the wall and downwardly inspaced'relatign to the wall forming a depending lip terminatingin spaced' relation to the base, a; circular springdisposediwithin .the wall between thei base .and :the depending lip, said face` portion having axraised boss disposed thereon on one side, said stud being assembled into the socket-.With the 'an'ge ofthe stud bearing against thebos's'maintaining the stud tilted in the '.socket with .the abrupt shoulder of the stud being disposed under the :depending'-lip-on the sarne'side of thezsocketas Vthe boss, andsaid springlbeing seated",` behind theabrupt shoulder on theisi'de of'. the soek'et ppositethebss.

References Cited iin-'the -fle vnf this: patent i Y .UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1 Number.- .Na-me A Date 

